Carman Cancer Update: "The Devil Took a Swipe at the Wrong Italian"

(Photo : Carman)

When Carman Licciardello took the stage for Tuesday night's taping of TBN's "Praise the Lord," thoughts of his recent Myeloma cancer diagnosis seemed far from his mind. He was upbeat and jovial, breaking out into an impromptu performance of his song "Glad to See Your Face" before joking with the members of the audience.

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Ultimately, though, Carman addressed his medical condition, and he was completely transparent regarding the diagnosis - how it rocked his world and how he plans to respond.

Carman briefly described how he first learned the news: He was feeling overly tired and sleeping too much when his doctor referred him to another physician at a cancer treatment center.

"Sometimes bad things happen to good people, they say," Carman started. "Or things happen to you that you don't expect, you don't see it coming, you don't get any warning. But they happen anyway. And these are things you don't pray for, you don't look for, you don't expect, you don't see it coming, It's not because of some seed you've sown. But it happens anyway, and you just gotta deal with it."

But as devastating as the news was, Carman has a plan. Just like his brother Mario taught him to always fight back when he was a boy, said Carman, he is not about to lay down quietly while the enemy wreaks havoc in his life.

"When somebody hits you, and they take a swipe at you, you gotta plan to go back and take four or five swipes at them," said Carman, emphatically. "So, the devil took a swipe at the wrong Italian."

In addition to undergoing the prescribed treatment protocols, Carman plans to spend the rest of his time on earth - however long that is - working in overdrive to prepare the next generation of evangelists. Specifically, he will utilize the classes hosted through his website to help individuals develop their ministries and move from part-time to full-time ministry.

"My goal, I want to put 100 evangelists out on the road," Carman added. "I said, 'Devil, I'm just one guy. But you take a swipe at me, we're gonna put out 100.'"

And despite his illness, Carman also plans to keep traveling, singing, ministering and speaking about his faith. "I am going to save as many souls as possible," he said.

Carman's outlook is positive, not because he dismisses the severity of his illness, but because he recognizes the Power within him that will enable him to still do the work he was called to do.

"Its not the length of time [that matters], it's the quality of time."

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